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Aims Within the TeleCheck-AF project, numerous centres in Europe used on-demand photoplethysmography (PPG) technology to remotely assess heart rate and rhythm in conjunction with teleconsultations. Based on the TeleCheck-AF investigator experiences, we aimed to develop an educational structured stepwise practical guide on how to interpret PPG signals and to introduce typical clinical scenarios how on-demand PPG was used. Methods and results During an online conference, the structured stepwise practical guide on how to interpret PPG signals was discussed and further refined during an internal review process. We provide the number of respective PPG recordings (FibriCheck®) and number of patients managed within a clinical scenario during the TeleCheck-AF project. To interpret PPG recordings, we introduce a structured stepwise practical guide and provide representative PPG recordings. In the TeleCheck-AF project, 2522 subjects collected 90 616 recordings in total. The majority of these recordings were classified by the PPG algorithm as sinus rhythm (57.6%), followed by AF (23.6%). In 9.7% of recordings, the quality was too low to interpret. The most frequent clinical scenarios where PPG technology was used in the TeleCheck-AF project was a follow-up after AF ablation (1110 patients) followed by heart rate and rhythm assessment around (tele)consultation (966 patients). Conclusion We introduce a newly developed structured stepwise practical guide on PPG signal interpretation developed based on presented experiences from TeleCheck-AF. The present clinical scenarios for the use of on-demand PPG technology derived from the TeleCheck-AF project will help to implement PPG technology in the management of AF patients.

Background: In the 123-study, we prospectively assessed, in a randomized fashion, the minimal cryoballoon application time necessary to achieve pulmonary vein (PV) isolation (PVI) in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) with the aim to reduce complications by shortening the application duration. The first results of this study demonstrated that shortened cryoballoon applications (

Objective It is unknown whether epicardial and endocardial validation of bidirectional block after thoracoscopic surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation is comparable. Epicardial validation may lead to false-positive results due to epicardial tissue edema, and thus could leave gaps with subsequent arrhythmia recurrence. It is the aim of the present study to answer this question in patients who underwent hybrid atrial fibrillation ablation (combined thoracoscopic epicardial and endocardial catheter ablation). Methods After epicardial ablation of the pulmonary veins (PVs) and connecting inferior and roof lines (box lesion), exit and entrance block were epicardially and endocardially evaluated using an endocardial His Bundle catheter and electrophysiological workstation. If incomplete lesions were found, endocardial touch-up ablation was performed. Validation results were also compared to predictions about conduction block based on tissue conductance measurements of the epicardial ablation device. Results Twenty-five patients were included. Epicardial validation results were 100% equal to the endocardial results for the left superior, left inferior, and right inferior PVs and box lesion. For the right superior PV, 85% similarity was found. Based on tissue conductance measurements, 139 lesions were expected to be complete; however, in 5 (3.6%) a gap was present. Conclusions Epicardial bidirectional conduction block in the PVs and the box lesion corresponded well with endocardial bidirectional conduction block. Conduction block predictions by changes in tissue conductance failed in few cases compared to block confirmation. This emphasizes that tissue conduction measurements can provide a rough indication of lesion effectiveness but needs endpoint confirmation by either epicardial or endocardial block testing.

BACKGROUND Diagnosing long QT syndrome (LQTS) remains challenging because of a considerable overlap in QT interval between patients with LQTS and healthy subjects. Characterizing T-wave morphology might improve LQTS diagnosis.OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to improve LQTS diagnosis by combining new polynomial-based T-wave morphology parameters with the corrected QT interval (QTc), age, and sex in a model.METHODS A retrospective cohort consisting of 333 patients with LQTS and 345 genotype-negative family members was used in this study. For each patient, a linear combination of the first 2 Hermite-Gauss (HG) polynomials was fitted to the STT segments of an average complex of all precordial leads and limb leads I and II. The weight coefficients as well as the error of the best fit were used to characterize T-wave morphology. Subjects were classified as patients with LQTS or controls by clinical QTc cutoffs and 3 support vector machine models fed with different features. An external cohort consisting of 72 patients and 45 controls was finally used to check the robustness of the models.RESULTS Baseline QTc cutoffs were specific but had low sensitivity in diagnosing LQTS. The model with T-wave morphology features, QTc, age, and sex had the best overall accuracy (84%), followed by a model with QTc, age, and sex (79%). The model with T-wave morphology features especially performed better in LQTS type 3 patients (69%).CONCLUSION T-wave morphologies can be characterized by fitting a linear combination of the first 2 Hermite-Gauss polynomials. Adding T-wave morphology characterization to age, sex, and QTc in a support vector machine model improves LQTS diagnosis.

Background Adenosine can be used to reveal dormant pulmonary vein (PV) conduction after PV isolation (PVI). This study presents a subanalysis of real-world 1-year follow-up data from the ESC-EHRA EORP Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Ablation Long-Term registry to analyze the usage of adenosine during PVI treatment in terms of rhythm outcome and safety. Methods The registry consists of 104 participating centers in 27 countries within the European Society of Cardiology. The registry data was split into an adenosine group (AG) and no-adenosine group (NAG). Procedure characteristics and patient outcome were compared. Results Adenosine was administered in 10.8% of the 3591 PVI patients included in the registry. Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy included the majority of adenosine cases (48.8%). Adenosine was applied more often in combination with open irrigation radiofrequency (RF) energy (74.7%) and less often in combination with nonirrigated RF energy (1.6%). After 1 year, a higher percentage of the AG was free from AF compared with the NAG (68.9% vs 59.1%, p p p = 0.991). Conclusions The use of adenosine was associated with a better rhythm outcome after 1 year follow-up and seems more useful in patients treated with RF energy compared with patients treated with cryo energy. Given the improved rhythm outcome at 1-year follow-up, it seems reasonable to encourage the use of adenosine during RF AF ablation.

Background In the awakening era of mobile health, wearable devices capable of detecting atrial fibrillation (AF) are on the rise. Smartwatches and wristbands are equipped with photoplethysmography (PPG) technology that enables (semi)continuous rhythm monitoring. These devices have been pioneered already in a few screening trials. However, such devices are being spread among consumers at a pace that is not paralleled by the evidence supporting their clinical performance. This imbalance reflects the urgent need for validation studies. Purpose To determine the diagnostic performance of an artificial intelligence algorithm to detect AF using photoplethysmography acquired by a smartwatch. Methods One hundred patients (≥18 years) without a pacemaker-dependent heart rhythm who were referred to a university hospital or a large tertiary hospital for elective 24-hour ECG Holter monitoring were asked to wear a continuous PPG monitoring smartwatch (i.e. Samsung GWA2 or Empatica E4) simultaneously with the Holter. All activities of daily life were allowed. The ECG trace and PPG waveform were synchronised and fragmented in one-minute fragements. The one-minute ECG fragments were labelled as AF, non-AF, or insufficient quality based on the routine clinical interpretation of the 24-hour Holter (i.e. software + physician overreading). The one-minute PPG fragments were analysed by an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm (i.e. FibriCheck) and were given the same labels. Diagnostic metrics of the PPG AI algorithm were calculated with respect to the ECG interpretation, for all fragments with sufficient quality for both PPG and ECG. Results Four patients had to be excluded due to technical error (3 Holter errors, 1 smartwatch error). The mean age in the remaining study population (n=96) was 59±16 years, 51 (53%) were men and 15 (15.6%) were known with permanent AF. In this population, simultaneous ECG and PPG monitoring was recorded for 115,245 one-minute fragments. Fragments of insufficient quality for ECG (n=1,454; 1.3%), PPG (n=25,704; 22.3%) or both (n=15,362; 13.3%) were excluded. PPG fragments were more frequently of insufficient quality (p Conclusion Continuous out-of-hospital PPG monitoring using a smartwatch in combination with an AI algorithm can accurately discriminate between AF and non-AF rhythms in a heterogenous patient population. PPG quality is more often affected than ECG quality during daily life activities. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): Research Foundation-Flanders, Strategic Basic Research Fund

Background In the awakening era of mobile health, wearables equipped with photoplethysmography (PPG) technology to monitor the heart rate (HR) and rhythm are on the rise. Smartwatches and wristbands enable HR monitoring for consumers at massive scale. Unfortunately, once consumers become patients, physicians are limited by insufficient evidence to support the clinical use of PPG based wearables. Accurate identification of heartbeats is the first step in the interpretation of PPG traces and should be validated. Purpose To assess the agreement between continuous PPG monitoring using a smartwatch and continuous ECG Holter monitoring in the identification of heartbeats and calculation of the HR. Methods One hundred patients (≥18 years) without a pacemaker-dependent heart rhythm who were referred to a university hospital and a large tertiary hospital for elective 24-hour ECG Holter monitoring were asked to wear a continuous PPG monitoring smartwatch (i.e. Samsung GWA2 or Empatica E4) simultaneously with the 24-hour Holter monitor. All activities of daily life were allowed. The ECG trace and PPG waveform were synchronised and fragmented in one-minute fragments. The one-minute ECG fragments were labelled as AF, non-AF, or insufficient quality based on the routine clinical interpretation (i.e. software + physician overreading), and the average HR during each fragment was calculated by Holter algorithm. The PPG fragments were analysed by an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm (i.e. FibriCheck) that labelled fragments as sufficient or insufficient quality, identified the number of heartbeats and calculated the HR. The agreement between the HR on ECG and PPG in sufficient quality tracings was analysed with linear regression, Pearson's product-moment correlation and Bland-Altman analysis. A subanalysis was performed for AF rhythm and non-AF rhythms. Results A total of 72,725 simultaneous ECG and PPG one-minute fragments were recorded in 96 patients, after excluding 4 patients (due to 3 Holter and 1 smartwatch technical error) and 42,520 minutes (36.9%) of insufficient quality (ECG 1,454 (1.3%); PPG 25,704 (22.3%), ECG and PPG 15,362 (13.3%)). The correlation (r=0.935) between ECG and PPG HR was statistically significant (CI 0.934–0.936; P Conclusion The AI algorithm analysing continuous out-of-hospital PPG tracings can annotate heartbeats and assess HR without a clinically significant bias compared to continuous ECG monitoring, both during AF and non-AF rhythms in a heterogenous patient population. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Research Foundation-Flanders, Strategic Basic Research Fund Correlation plot & Bland-Altman plot

Aims: This study aims to compare the performance of physicians to detect atrial fibrillation (AF) based on photoplethysmography (PPG), single-lead ECG and 12-lead ECG, and to explore the incremental value of PPG presentation as a tachogram and Poincaré plot, and of algorithm classification for interpretation by physicians.Methods and Results: Email invitations to participate in an online survey were distributed among physicians to analyse almost simultaneously recorded PPG, single-lead ECG and 12-lead ECG traces from 30 patients (10 in sinus rhythm (SR), 10 in SR with ectopic beats and 10 in AF). The task was to classify the readings as ‘SR', ‘ectopic/missed beats', ‘AF', ‘flutter' or ‘unreadable'. Sixty-five physicians detected or excluded AF based on the raw PPG waveforms with 88.8% sensitivity and 86.3% specificity. Additional presentation of the tachogram plus Poincaré plot significantly increased sensitivity and specificity to 95.5% (P < 0.001) and 92.5% (P < 0.001), respectively. The algorithm information did not further increase the accuracy to detect AF (sensitivity 97.5%, P = 0.556; specificity 95.0%, P = 0.182). Physicians detected AF on single-lead ECG tracings with 91.2% sensitivity and 93.9% specificity. Diagnostic accuracy was also not optimal on full 12-lead ECGs (93.9 and 98.6%, respectively). Notably, there was no significant difference between the performance of PPG waveform plus tachogram and Poincaré, compared to a single-lead ECG to detect or exclude AF (sensitivity P = 0.672; specificity P = 0.536).Conclusion: Physicians can detect AF on a PPG output with equivalent accuracy compared to single-lead ECG, if the PPG waveforms are presented together with a tachogram and Poincaré plot and the quality of the recordings is high.

Summary As the mechanisms underlying persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) are still incompletely understood, a ‘gold standard’ strategy for ablation is lacking. The results of catheter ablation, independent of the ablation strategy applied, are disappointing. Hybrid ablation, combining a thoracoscopic epicardial and transvenous endocardial approach, has shown more favourable outcomes. To date, studies comparing both techniques are lacking. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of hybrid versus catheter ablation in patients with persistent or longstanding persistent AF. A systematic literature search of studies reporting on catheter and hybrid ablation of persistent or longstanding persistent AF was performed in the PubMed database. All identified articles were screened and checked for eligibility. A meta-analysis was performed on inter-study heterogeneity and pooled correlation between baseline characteristics, primary and secondary outcomes of hybrid and catheter studies. From the 520 articles identified by the search, 34 articles could be included in the analysis. Hybrid ablation resulted in higher freedom of atrial arrhythmias in patients with persistent and longstanding-persistent AF than catheter ablation (70.7% vs 49.9%, P

OBJECTIVES Epicardial adipose tissue volume (EAT-V) has been linked to atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrences after catheter ablation. We retrospectively studied the association between atrial EAT-V and outcome after hybrid AF ablation (epicardial surgical and endocardial catheter ablation). METHODS On preoperative cardiac computed tomography angiography scans, the left atrium and right atrium were manually delineated using the open source ImageJ. With custom-made automated software, the number of pixels in the regions of interest on each slice was calculated. On the basis of the Hounsfield units, pixel size and slice thickness, EAT-V was computed and normalized in relation to the body surface area (BSA) and the myocardial tissue volume. RESULTS Eighty-five patients were included. Left atrial and right atrial EAT-V normalized to BSA were not significantly different between paroxysmal and persistent AF [0.84 (0.51–1.50) vs 0.81 (0.57–1.18), 1.74 (1.02–2.56) vs 1.55 (1.26–2.18), all P = 0.9], neither between the acute conduction block and no acute conduction block in the epicardial box lesion [0.92 (0.55–1.39) vs 0.72 (0.55–1.24), P = 0.5, right atrium not applicable], nor between the sinus rhythm and arrhythmia recurrence after 12 months [0.88 (0.55–1.48) vs 0.63 (0.47–1.10), 1.61 (1.11–2.50) vs 1.55 (1.20–2.20), all P > 0.1]. Left atrial EAT-V normalized to myocardial tissue volume was not different between the groups. CONCLUSIONS This study could neither confirm that EAT-V was predictive of recurrence of supraventricular arrhythmias in patients undergoing a hybrid AF ablation, nor that EAT-V was different between patients with paroxysmal AF and persistent and long-standing persistent AF. This suggests that EAT-V might not affect the outcome in surgical ablation procedures and therefore should not influence preoperative or intraoperative decision-making.

Background Success rates with conventional transvenous endocardial pulmonary vein isolation in patients with persistent and longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) are variable due to advanced electrical and structural remodeling of the atria. As a consequence, more extensive endocardial lesions, minimally invasive thoracoscopic surgical techniques, and hybrid ablation (combining thoracoscopic epicardial surgical and endocardial catheter ablation) have been developed. Hypothesis The HARTCAP-AF trial hypothesizes that hybrid AF ablation is more effective than (repeated) transvenous endocardial catheter ablation in (longstanding) persistent AF, without increasing the number of associated major adverse events. Methods This randomized controlled trial will include 40 patients with persistent or longstanding persistent AF who will be 1:1 randomized to either hybrid ablation or (repeated) catheter ablation. The procedures and follow-up are conducted according to the guidelines. The primary effectiveness endpoint is freedom from any supraventricular arrhythmia lasting longer than 5 min without the use of Vaughan-Williams class I or III antiarrhythmic drugs through 12 months of follow-up after the last procedure. In the catheter ablation arm, a second procedure planned within 6 months after the index procedure is allowed for obtaining the primary endpoint. Additionally, adverse events, cost-effectiveness, and quality of life data will be recorded. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02441738. Registered on 12 May 2015. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-019-3365-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Aims The roles of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and radiofrequency catheter ablation (RCA) in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and well-tolerated monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (MVT) are debated. In this multicentre retrospective study, we aimed at reporting the outcome of selected patients with ARVC after RCA without a back-up ICD. Methods and results Patients with ARVC who underwent RCA of well-tolerated MVT at 10 tertiary centres across 5 countries, without an ICD before and 3 months after RCA, without syncope or electrical storm, and with left ventricular ejection fraction ≥50% were included. In total, 65 ARVC patients [mean age 44.5 ± 13.2 years, 78% males] underwent RCA of MVT between 2003 and 2016. Clinical presentation was palpitations in 51 (80%) patients. One (2%) patient had >1 clinical MVT. At the ablative procedure, clinical MVTs (mean rate 185 ± 32 b.p.m.) were inducible in 50 (81%) patients. Epicardial ablation was performed in 19 (29%) patients. Complete acute success was achieved in 47 (72%) patients. After a median follow-up of 52.4 months (range 12.3–171.4), there was no death or aborted cardiac arrest, and VT recurred in 19 (29%) patients. Survival without VT recurrence was estimated at 88%, 80%, and 68%, 12, 36, and 60 months after RCA, respectively, and was significantly associated with the approach and the procedural outcome. Conclusion In patients with ARVC, well-tolerated MVT without a back-up ICD did not lead to fatal arrhythmic event after RCA despite VT recurrences in some. Our data suggest that RCA may be an alternative to ICD in selected ARVC patients.

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction The increasing availability of smartphones has enabled rhythm monitoring in large populations using standalone photoplethysmography (PPG) apps or singe-lead electrocardiography (ECG) with add-on devices. Current guidelines note that when atrial fibrillation (AF) is suspected by an automated algorithm, confirmation on an ECG tracing is required. The use of PPG alone to establish the diagnosis is not generally accepted, even when overread. The performance of physicians to discriminate between sinus rhythm (SR) and AF based on PPG alone is unknown. Purpose To study the performance of physicians to detect AF based on PPG vs single-lead ECG vs 12-lead ECG, and to explore the incremental value of a tachogram, Poincaré plot, and algorithm output to the interpretation of the PPG waveform by physicians. Methods PPG, single-lead ECG and 12-lead ECG data were simultaneously recorded in 30 patients. Diagnostic reference was the 12-lead ECG, read by two cardiologists. Cardiologists, electrophysiologists and cardiology fellows were invited to analyse the data of 30 patients (10 in SR, 10 in SR with extrasystoles and 10 in AF) through online surveys and classify the readings as ‘SR’, ‘ectopic/missed beats’, ‘AF’, ‘flutter’ or ‘unreadable’. For dichotomous analysis, ‘unreadable’ was reclassified as incorrect, the other options were reclassified as AF ‘present’ or ‘absent’. In the first survey, PPG data were presented subsequently as a waveform, stepwise adding the tachogram and Poincaré plot, and algorithm information. In the next two surveys, the single-lead and 12-lead ECG traces were presented. Sensitivity and specificity for all presentations were calculated with respect to the reference diagnosis. Diagnostic performances were compared with the Obuchowski-Rockette’s ANOVA approach with Jackknife covariance estimation and Benjamini-Hochberg correction. Results Sixty-five physicians completed the PPG survey and analysed the PPG waveforms with 88.8% sensitivity and 86.3% specificity for AF. The diagnostic metrics significantly increased to 95.5% sensitivity (P Conclusions PPG rhythm recordings, analysed by physicians as a waveform in combination with the corresponding tachogram and Poincaré plot, achieve similar diagnostic accuracy as single-lead ECG to detect AF. Abstract Figure.

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Population based screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) has been suggested to reduce stroke. Photoplethysmography (PPG) deriving smartphone apps and single-lead electrocardiography (ECG) tools are attractive devices for screening due to their low cost, convenience, and accessibility. Automated algorithm analysis can serve as pre-screening or remote monitoring for AF, while confirmation on an ECG trace >30s is required to establish the diagnosis. This work directly compares the performance of proprietary algorithms on PPG vs single-lead ECG for the detection of AF. Purpose To evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of a PPG-deriving smartphone app and a single-lead ECG-deriving handheld device for AF detection. Methods Patients were recruited from the cardiology ward. After obtaining written informed consent, demographic and medical information were collected. Patients were instructed to perform one measurement using a pulse-deriving smartphone app and one via a single-lead ECG handheld device. A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) was collected and interpreted by a cardiologist as gold standard. Patients with atrial flutter were excluded, with additional exclusions for insufficient quality measurements and unsuccessful measurements resulting due to technical errors. Unclassified single-lead ECG measurements were handled as test-negative. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated with respect to the reference diagnosis. McNemar’s analysis was performed to compare the sensitivity and specificity of the proprietary PPG and single-lead ECG AF detection algorithms. Results The median age in the study population (n = 300) was 70 years (interquartile range: 51-78), 56.3% were men, and the median CHA2DS2-VASc was 3 (interquartile range: 1-4) with an AF-prevalence of 32.3%. PPG signal and single‑lead ECG quality was sufficient in 272/300 (91.0%) and 278/298 (93.3%) participants, respectively. After excluding atrial flutter patients (n = 25) and insufficient quality measurements, the sensitivity and specificity were 97.6% (95% CI 93.8 to 99.3) and 94.1% (95% CI 86.8 to 98.1) for the PPG signal versus 95.7% (95% CI 91.4 to 98.3) and 91.1% (95% CI 83.2 to 96.1) for the single‑lead ECG signal, respectively. Results demonstrated a 96.4% (95% CI 93.2 to 98.3) accuracy for PPG and 94.1% (95% CI 90.4 to 96.6) for single-lead ECG. No significant differences in sensitivity (P = 0.453) or specificity (P = 0.219) between the proprietary PPG and single-lead ECG algorithms were found. Conclusion This study demonstrated equivalent diagnostic performance of PPG and single-lead ECG proprietary AF detection algorithms in smartphone apps.

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Smartphone apps using photoplethysmography (PPG) technology enable digital heart rhythm monitoring through their built-in camera, without the need for additional, specific, or costly hardware. This may positively impact the availability and scalability of remote monitoring. However, the diversity of smartphone specifications on the consumer market may raise concerns regarding the robustness of AF detection algorithms between various devices. Purpose To study the device independency of AF detection performance by a PPG-based smartphone application. Methods Patients from the cardiology department were consecutively enrolled. Patients were handed 7 iOS models and 1 Android model and were asked to consecutively perform one PPG measurement per device. A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) was collected during the same consultation and interpreted by a cardiologist as reference diagnosis. To allow an objective comparison across the devices, patients who failed to perform one successful measurement on each device were excluded. Additional exclusions were atrial flutter rhythms and insufficient quality results. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated with respect to the reference diagnosis. McNemar’s analysis was used for the head-to-head comparison of the sensitivity and specificity of the proprietary algorithm on the different smartphone devices. Results A total of 150 patients participated in the study with a median CHA2DS2-VASc score of 3 (interquartile range: 1-5). The median age of the study population was 70 (interquartile range: 56-79) years. In total, 54.7% of the population was male and the AF-prevalence was 35.3%. After the exclusion of patients with atrial flutter (n = 14) and patients who did not successfully perform a PPG measurement on each device (n = 5), diagnostic-grade results of 131 patients were used to calculate the performance of the proprietary algorithm. The sensitivity and specificity of the AF detection algorithm ranged from 90.9% (95% CI 75.7-98.1) to 100.0% (95% CI 91.0-100) and 94.5% (95% CI 86.6-98.5) to 100.0% (95% CI 94.6-100), respectively. The overall accuracy across the devices ranged from 94.4% (95% CI 88.3-97.9) to 99.0% (95% CI 94.6-100). Head-to-head comparisons of the results did not reveal significant differences in sensitivity (P = 0.125-1.000) or specificity (P = 0.375-1.000) of the proprietary AF detection algorithm among the different devices. Conclusion This study demonstrated the device-independent nature of the PPG-deriving smartphone application with respect to 12-lead ECG diagnosis.

Despite many years of research, the different aspects of the mechanism of atrial fibrillation (AF) are still incompletely understood. And although the latest guidelines recommend catheter ablation with pulmonary vein isolation as a rhythm control strategy, long-term results in persistent and long-standing persistent AF are suboptimal. Historically, a mechanistic-based patient-tailored approach for the treatment of AF was impossible because of the lack real-time mapping techniques and advanced ablation tools. Therefore, surgeons created lesion sets based upon the anatomy of both atria and the safety of the incisions made by the knife. These complex open-heart procedures had to be performed through a sternotomy on the arrested heart and where therefore not generally adopted. The use of controlled energy sources such as cryothermy and radiofrequency where the first step to make the creation of these lesions less complex. With the development and improvement of electrophysiology techniques and catheters, this invasive and solely anatomical approach could again be partially redesigned. Now less invasive, it prepared the way for collaboration between electrophysiologists working on the endocardial side of the heart and cardiac surgeons providing epicardial access. The introduction of video-assisted technology and hybrid procedures has further increased the possibilities of new successful therapies. Now more than 40 years since the beginning of this exciting maze of AF procedures and still working towards a less aggressive and more comprehensive approach we give an overview of the history of the different minimally invasive surgical solutions and of the hybrid approach.

Aims We aimed to examine whether routine pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) induces significant ventricular repolarization changes as suggested earlier. Methods and results Five-minute electrocardiograms were recorded at hospital’s admission (T−1d), 1 day after the PVI-procedure (T+1d) and at 3 months post-procedure (T+3m) from a registry of consecutive atrial fibrillation (AF) patients scheduled for routine PVI with different PVI modalities (radiofrequency, cryo-ablation, and hybrid). Only patients who were in sinus rhythm at all three recordings (n = 117) were included. QT-intervals and QT-dispersion were evaluated with custom-made software and QTc was calculated using Bazett’s, Fridericia’s, Framingham’s, and Hodges’ formulas. Both QT- and RR-intervals were significantly shorter at T+1d (399 ± 37 and 870 ± 141 ms) and T+3m (407 ± 36 and 950 ± 140 ms) compared with baseline (417 ± 36 and 1025 ± 164 ms). There was no statistically significant within-subject difference in QTc Fridericia (T−1d 416 ± 28 ms, T+1d 419 ± 33 ms, and T+3m 414 ± 25 ms) and QT-dispersion (T−1d 18 ± 12 ms, T+1d 21 ± 19 ms, and T+3m 17 ± 12 ms) between the recordings. A multiple linear regression model with age, sex, AF type, ablation technique, first/re-do ablation, and AF recurrence to predict the change in QTc at T+3m with respect to QTc at T−1d did not reach significance which indicates that the change in QTc does not differ between all subgroups (age, sex, AF type, ablation technique, first/re-do ablation, and AF recurrence). Conclusion Based on our data a routine PVI does not result in a prolongation of QTc in a real-world population. These findings, therefore, suggest that there is no need to intensify post-PVI QT-interval monitoring.

Aims TeleCheck-AF is a multicentre international project initiated to maintain care delivery for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) during COVID-19 through teleconsultations supported by an on-demand photoplethysmography-based heart rate and rhythm monitoring app (FibriCheck®). We describe the characteristics, inclusion rates, and experiences from participating centres according the TeleCheck-AF infrastructure as well as characteristics and experiences from recruited patients. Methods and results Three surveys exploring centre characteristics (n = 25), centre experiences (n = 23), and patient experiences (n = 826) were completed. Self-reported patient characteristics were obtained from the app. Most centres were academic (64%) and specialized public cardiology/district hospitals (36%). Majority of the centres had AF outpatient clinics (64%) and only 36% had AF ablation clinics. The time required to start patient inclusion and total number of included patients in the project was comparable for centres experienced (56%) or inexperienced in mHealth use. Within 28 weeks, 1930 AF patients were recruited, mainly for remote AF control (31% of patients) and AF ablation follow-up (42%). Average inclusion rate was highest during the lockdown restrictions and reached a steady state at a lower level after easing the restrictions (188 vs. 52 weekly recruited patients). Majority (>80%) of the centres reported no problems during the implementation of the TeleCheck-AF approach. Recruited patients [median age 64 (55–71), 62% male] agreed that the FibriCheck® app was easy to use (94%). Conclusion Despite different health care settings and mobile health experiences, the TeleCheck-AF approach could be set up within an extremely short time and easily used in different European centres during COVID-19.

ObjectivesThe association between obesity and atrial fibrillation (AF) is well-established. We aimed to evaluate the impact of index body mass index (BMI) on AF recurrence at 12 months following catheter ablation using propensity-weighted analysis. In addition, periprocedural complications and fluoroscopy details were examined to assess overall safety in relationship to increasing BMI ranges.MethodsBaseline, periprocedural and follow-up data were collected on consecutive patients scheduled for AF ablation. There were no specific exclusion criteria. Patients were categorised according to baseline BMI in order to assess the outcomes for each category.ResultsAmong 3333 patients, 728 (21.8%) were classified as normal (BMI 2), 1537 (46.1%) as overweight (BMI 25.5–29.0 kg/m2) and 1068 (32.0%) as obese (BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2). Procedural duration and radiation dose were higher for overweight and obese patients compared with those with a normal BMI (p=0.002 and p2led to a 1.2-fold increased likelihood of experiencing recurrent AF at 12-months follow-up as compared with overweight patients (HR 1.223; 95% CI 1.047 to 1.429; p=0.011), while no significant correlation was found between overweight and normal BMI groups (HR 0.954; 95% CI 0.798 to 1.140; p=0.605) and obese versus normal BMI (HR 1.16; 95% CI 0.965 to 1.412; p=0.112).ConclusionsPatients with a baseline BMI ≥30 kg/m2have a higher recurrence rate of AF following catheter ablation and therefore lifestyle modification to target obesity preprocedure should be considered in these patients.

Item does not contain fulltext OBJECTIVES: The single-step hybrid atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation procedure combines a transvenous endocardial and thoracoscopic epicardial approach in 1 procedure. Short-term results are encouraging, but long-term outcome data are not available. METHODS: Hybrid AF ablation was successfully performed in 64 consecutive patients (53% with persistent AF). The mean follow-up period was 1732 +/- 353 days. Perprocedural endocardial touch-up of incomplete epicardial lesions was performed in 17 (26%) patients. RESULTS: In paroxysmal AF patients, arrhythmia-free cumulative survival rates after 1 hybrid AF ablation without Class I or III antiarrhythmic drugs procedure and without redo catheter ablation were 83%, 80% and 80% after 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively. In (long-standing) persistent AF patients, these were 82%, 79% and 79% after 1, 2 and 3 years. Thirteen (20%) patients had at least 1 recurrent episode of supraventricular arrhythmia lasting longer than 30 s: the most frequent recurrent arrhythmias were left atrial flutter and AF. No mortality or conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass, no phrenic nerve palsy and no pacemaker implantation were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid AF ablation, combining a transvenous endocardial and thoracoscopic epicardial approach in a single procedure, results in a cumulative 3-year freedom from arrhythmia without Class I or III antiarrhythmic drugs and without redo catheter ablation of 80% in paroxysmal AF (24 of 30 patients) and 79% in non-paroxysmal AF (26 of 33 patients).

Background: We evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the hybrid thoracoscopic endocardial epicardial ablation technique for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in obese versus non-obese patients.Methods: Between January 2010 and January 2015, a cohort of 61 patients were retrospectively identified to undergo ablation of AF as a stand-alone procedure using a thoracoscopic, hybrid epicardial-endocardial technique. All patients underwent continuous 7-day Holter monitoring at 3, 6 months, 1 year and yearly thereafter.Results: A total of 40% of the obese cohort had persistent or long-standing AF, compared to 54.9% of the non-obese cohort. There were no deaths or conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass required. At 3-year follow-up, 60% of the obese group were in sinus rhythm (SR) with no episode of AF, atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia lasting 30 s off anti-arrhythmic drugs. This was compared to 70.6% in the non-obese group, with no significant difference between the groups (P= 0.468). For success rates on anti-arrhythmic drugs, this was 80% in the obese group compared to 86% in the non-obese group at 3-year follow-up (P= 0.637). No patient died and no thromboembolic/bleeding events or procedure-related complications occurred during the follow-up.Conclusions: In a retrospective cohort with approximately half with persistent or long-standing AF, thoracoscopic hybrid epicardial endocardial ablation proved to be equally effective and safe in obese versus non-obese patients. Current preliminary findings require further validation in multi-institutional prospective studies with larger sample sizes.

Contains fulltext : 229187.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND: Although novel teleconsultation solutions can deliver remote situations that are relatively similar to face-to-face interaction, remote assessment of heart rate and rhythm as well as risk factors remains challenging in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). HYPOTHESIS: Mobile health (mHealth) solutions can support remote AF management. METHODS: Herein, we discuss available mHealth tools and strategies on how to incorporate the remote assessment of heart rate, rhythm and risk factors to allow comprehensive AF management through teleconsultation. RESULTS: Particularly, in the light of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there is decreased capacity to see patients in the outpatient clinic and mHealth has become an important component of many AF outpatient clinics. Several validated mHealth solutions are available for remote heart rate and rhythm monitoring as well as for risk factor assessment. mHealth technologies can be used for (semi-)continuous longitudinal monitoring or for short-term on-demand monitoring, dependent on the respective requirements and clinical scenarios. As a possible solution to improve remote AF care through teleconsultation, we introduce the on-demand TeleCheck-AF mHealth approach that allows remote app-based assessment of heart rate and rhythm around teleconsultations, which has been developed and implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. CONCLUSION: Large scale international mHealth projects, such as TeleCheck-AF, will provide insight into the additional value and potential limitations of mHealth strategies to remotely manage AF patients. Such mHealth infrastructures may be well suited within an integrated AF-clinic, which may require redesign of practice and reform of health care systems.

Aims The ESC EORP EHRA Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Ablation Long-Term registry was designed to assess management and outcomes of AF catheter ablation procedures in Europe. To investigate the current ablation approaches and their outcomes for patients with paroxymal AF (PAF) and non-PAF in Europe. Methods and results Data from index ablations were collected in 27 European countries at 104 centres in a prospective fashion. Pre-procedural, procedural, and 1-year follow-up data were captured on a web-based electronic case record form. Data on the ablation procedure were available for 3446 patients. Of these, 2513 patients and 933 patients underwent pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) or PVI plus (PVIplus) additional ablation, respectively. The ablation strategy was limited to PVI in 81% and 56% of patients in the PAF and non-PAF group, respectively (P Conclusion In patients with PAF and non-PAF, the ablation strategies of PVI and PVIplus led to similar arrhythmia-free survival rates after 1 year. A considerable hospital readmission rate was noted.

Background In arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia (ARVC/D), implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) after an episode of sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (MVT) are currently recommended in most situations. However, radiofrequency catheter ablation (RCA) is effective in reducing recurrent VT and whether MVT is a surrogate of sudden cardiac death is debated when other risk factors are lacking. Purpose To report the outcomes of patients with ARVC/D who underwent RCA of well-tolerated MVT without a back-up ICD. Methods Patients with a definite ARVC/D diagnosis according to the 2010 Task Force revised criteria who underwent RCA of well-tolerated MVT at 9 tertiary centers across 5 countries, without an ICD prior to RCA and in the 3 following months were retrospectively included. Patients presenting with syncope or electrical storm, and patients with left ventricular ejection fraction Results Sixty-five patients [median age 46.1 years, range (19.5–73.8), 75% males] underwent RCA of MVT between 2003 and 2016. Familial history of ARVC/D was found in 11% of patients. Epsilon-waves were present in 19% and T-waves inversion beyond V2 in 43%. A right ventricular (RV) ejection fraction ≤40% or fractional area change ≤33% was found in 14 (25%) patients. Median left ventricular ejection fraction was 61% (50–70). Clinical presentation was palpitations in 81% of patients and near-syncope in 14%. Prior to RCA, patients were on beta-blockers alone in 18%, class I drugs in 37% and amiodarone in 9%, while 15% of patients were free any antiarrhythmic medication. Only 1 patient (2%) had >1 clinical VT morphology. Median VT rate was 180 (110–270). An epicardial approach was used in 31% patients. The clinical VT was inducible in 84% of patients. The median number of targeted RV site was 1 (1–3) (RV outflow tract in 72%). Full acute success defined inability to induce any VT was achieved in 72% of patients. During a median follow-up time of 49 month (1.4–162), there was no death or aborted cardiac arrest. Survival without VT recurrence was estimated at 82%, 71% and 60%, 12-, 36- and 60-months after RCA. No VT recurrence was observed among patient who had undergone an epicardial ablation. Among patients with VT recurrence, 6 (35%) did not receive an ICD, and 14 (70%) underwent redo RCA. An ICD was implanted in 10 patients, including 5 for VT recurrence. Fifty-eight patients constituted the control group, and 64% had appropriate ICD interventions during follow-up. Conclusions Despite a significant rate of VT recurrence, selected patients with ARVC/D who underwent RCA for stable MVT without an ICD did not experience any arrhythmic death. Further prospective studies are mandatory to precise the respective places of ICD and RCA in the management of ARVC/D patients with well-tolerated MVT. Acknowledgement/Funding None

Contains fulltext : 209448.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Background: The long-term results of endocardial and percutaneous epicardial catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with structural heart disease are disappointing. Arrhythmia recurrence after ablation and VTs with an epicardial substrate remain a clinical challenge. The purpose of this manuscript is to elaborate on feasibility and potential advantages of a surgical hybrid ablation (i.e., combined endocardial and surgical epicardial ablation) based on our initial experience consisting of five cases. Methods: Endocardial electro-anatomical voltage and activation maps were created (Carto, Biosense Webster, California, USA), and endocardial radiofrequency (RF) applications were applied at exit sites, low voltage areas and isthmi. Next, after surgical access, epicardial voltage and activation maps were produced in combination with visual assessment of the epicardial substrate. Epicardial low voltage areas, isthmi and exit sites were identified and ablated using RF energy. Results: After the procedure, VT was non-inducible in 80% of the cases (4/5, in one case no induction was performed). No peri-procedural complications occurred. After a mean follow-up of 18 months, one patient remained in sinus rhythm without, and 2 with use of antiarrhythmic drugs. One patient needed a redo procedure after 21 months, and in one patient the amiodarone dose was raised because of 2 sustained VTs. After this additional treatment, both kept sinus rhythm. Conclusions: Hybrid VT ablation is a safe and effective patient tailored procedure that comprises the major advantage of combining direct anatomical visualization and enhanced catheter stability with high-density 3D mapping. As a consequence, this procedure should be considered as a valid treatment option in complex VT management.

Purpose Hybrid ablation for AF is performed in a growing number of centers. Due to absence of guidelines, operative approaches and perioperative care differ per center. In this review, an overview of findings from published studies on hybrid ablations is given, and related topics are discussed (e.g., one- and two-stage approaches, lesion sets, and patient management). Methods A systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed and Embase databases. All identified articles were screened and checked for eligibility by the two authors. Results Twelve studies describing a total of 563 patients were selected. Due to substantial differences in approaches (one-stage, two-stage, sequential), surgical techniques (bilateral or monolateral thoracoscopy, subxiphoideal, transabdominal), energy sources (unipolar, bipolar), lesion sets (applying left or right atrial lesions), periprocedural care and endpoints (monitoring, definition of recurrence), and success rates (sinus rhythm after a mean of 26 months) are difficult to compare and varied from 27 % (without antiarrhythmic drugs, AADs) to 94 % (with AADs). For studies using bipolar devices, success rates with the use of antiarrhythmic drugs were at least 71 %. Major complications such as bleeding, sternotomy, and death occurred in 7 % of the total population (of which ten complications, 16 %, occurred in the concomitant cardiac surgery hybrid group). Conclusion The field of AF ablation has dramatically changed over the past years, with one of the most recent developments the hybrid AF ablation. Lack of matching data hinders drawing conclusions and creating guidelines. Early results however are encouraging. More data are awaiting and needed.

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the general population is between 1% and 2% in the developed world and is higher in men than in women. The arrhythmia occurs much more commonly in the elderly, and the estimated lifetime risk of developing AF is one in four for men and women aged 40 years and above. Projected data from multiple population-based studies in the USA and Europe predict a two- to threefold increase in the number of AF patients by 2060. The high lifetime risk of AF and increased longevity underscore the important public health burden posed by this arrhythmia worldwide. AF has multiple aetiologies and a broad variety of presentations. The primary pathologies underlying or promoting the occurrence of AF vary more than for any other cardiac arrhythmia, ranging from autonomic imbalance to organic heart disease and metabolic disorders, such as diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, hyperthyroidism and kidney disease, and lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and participation in endurance sports. Biomarkers are increasingly being investigated and, together with clinical and genetic factors, will eventually lead to a clinically valuable detailed classification of AF which will also incorporate pathophysiological determinants and mechanisms of the arrhythmia. In turn, this will allow the development and application of precision medicine to this troublesome arrhythmia.

Understanding of the pathophysiological mechanism(s) underlying atrial fibrillation (AF) is the foundation on which current ablation strategies are built. In the vast majority of patients with paroxysmal AF, the ablation procedure should target the pulmonary veins. In patients with nonparoxysmal AF, however, pulmonary vein isolation alone seems to be insufficient to prevent the arrhythmia. Several recent clinical trials have investigated the concept that rotors (re-entry based on a meandering central core from which spiral waves emanate) might be the mechanism responsible for sustaining AF. Ablation of these localized AF sources is an important step towards substrate-driven procedures in persistent AF. Hybrid AF ablation procedures, based on the integration of endocardial transcatheter and epicardial off-pump surgical techniques, have been introduced to overcome their mutual shortcomings. The long-term results are encouraging, especially in currently challenging settings such as nonparoxysmal AF and failed endocardial catheter ablation procedures.

Background. In the recent ESC/EACTS guidelines, left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion or exclusion in patients undergoing (thoracoscopic) atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation surgery is recommended. The Watchman device (WD, Boston Scientific, Minnesota) has proved to reduce the risk of thromboembolic events by closing of the LAA, yet no data exist on WD implantation during surgical AF ablation. The objective is to determine if WD implantation is safe and feasible in a hybrid AF ablation setting (i.e., combination of thoracoscopic epicardial surgical and endocardial catheter ablation) and could become subject of further testing to serve as a bail-out in cases in which surgical LAA occlusion methods cannot be applied, due to, for example, severe adhesions. Methods. In this prospective, single center, pilot study, 10 consecutive patients undergoing a hybrid ablation qualifying for LAA exclusion (CHA2DS2-VASc ≥ 1) were included. At the end of the hybrid ablation, the LAA was occluded endocardially using the WD. The feasibility endpoint was successful implantation. The safety endpoint concerned major complications. Results. One patient was excluded and replaced because the LAA was insufficiently visible on transesophageal echocardiography. In 10/11 patients, device delivery was successful (mean time: 35 minutes). No major complications occurred. Transesophageal echocardiography after 6 weeks and 6 months showed successful occlusion of the LAA without significant peridevice flow. Conclusion. Implantation of the WD seems to be feasible and safe in the setting of hybrid AF ablation and could be an alternative to epicardial occlusion in surgical AF ablation procedures. Larger studies are required to confirm these findings. This trial is registered with NCT02471131.

Atrial remodeling in patients suffering of atrial fibrillation is related to the stage of disease. During sinus rhythm, the P-wave is a surrogate for atrial electrical activation, but routine 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), may not be ideally suited to reflect the atrial electrical activity. In previous work we identified lead position with higher sensitivity for changes in P-wave morphology. In this study we added three novel lead positions to the 12-lead ECG to determine different stages of atrial fibrillation. By means of our novel lead positions and calculations of a signal averaged ECG we were able to describe differences of P-wave morphology for patients with atrial fibrillation compared to a reference cohort and correlated these to the stages of disease for paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation.

The population of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) is continuously increasing with more and more patients reaching adulthood. A significant portion of these young adults will suffer from arrhythmias due to the underlying congenital heart defect itself or as a sequela of interventional or surgical treatment. The medical community will encounter an increasing challenge as even most of the individuals with complex congenital heart defects nowadays become young adults. Within the past 20 years, management of patients with arrhythmias has gained remarkable progress including pharmacological treatment, catheter ablation, and device therapy. Catheter ablation in patients with CHD has paralleled the advances of this technology in pediatric and adult patients with structurally normal hearts. Growing experience and introduction of new techniques like the 3D mapping systems into clinical practice have been particularly beneficial for this growing population of patients with abnormal cardiac anatomy and physiology. Finally, device therapies allowing maintanence of chronotropic competence and AV conduction, improving haemodynamics by cardiac resynchronization, and preventing sudden death are increasingly used. For pharmacological therapy, ablation procedures, and device therapy decision making requires a deep understanding of the individual pathological anatomy and physiology as well as detailed knowledge on natural history and long-term prognosis of our patients. Composing expert opinions from cardiology and paediatric cardiology as well as from non-invasive and invasive electrophysiology this position paper was designed to state the art in management of young individuals with congenital heart defects and arrhythmias.

Control of the heart rate (rate control) is central to atrial fibrillation management, even for patients who ultimately require control of the rhythm. The choice of rate control depends on symptoms and clinical characteristics of the patient, but for all patients with atrial fibrillation, rate control is part of the management. Choice of drugs is patient dependent and driven by the patient-specific rate–symptom relationship as well as associated conditions. Beta blockers, alone or in combination with digoxin, or non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers effectively lower the heart rate. Digoxin is least effective, but a reasonable choice for older, physically inactive patients, in whom other therapies are ineffective or contraindicated, and as an additional drug, especially in systolic heart failure. Institution of all rate control drugs should be performed cautiously. Atrioventricular node ablation with pacemaker insertion for rate control should be the approach of last resort. Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation, however, should be considered before atrioventricular node ablation. No one formula can integrate the best approach to a specific drug or the effects of therapeutic combinations, but one important message is that a lenient approach to rate control is easy, safe, and effective in many patients and should be considered as the initial approach. A stricter rate control approach is adopted when symptoms persist or deterioration of the left ventricular function occurs. Although rate control is the top priority and one of the first management issues for all patients with atrial fibrillation, and has been studied extensively, many issues remain.

There are major challenges ahead for clinicians treating patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The population with AF is expected to expand considerably and yet, apart from anticoagulation, therapies used in AF have not been shown to consistently impact on mortality or reduce adverse cardiovascular events. New approaches to AF management, including the use of novel technologies and structured, integrated care, have the potential to enhance clinical phenotyping or result in better treatment selection and stratified therapy. Here, we report the outcomes of the 6th Consensus Conference of the Atrial Fibrillation Network (AFNET) and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), held at the European Society of Cardiology Heart House in Sophia Antipolis, France, 17-19 January 2017. Sixty-two global specialists in AF and 13 industry partners met to develop innovative solutions based on new approaches to screening and diagnosis, enhancing integration of AF care, developing clinical pathways for treating complex patients, improving stroke prevention strategies, and better patient selection for heart rate and rhythm control. Ultimately, these approaches can lead to better outcomes for patients with AF.

Objective We present the first testing study on the ABLA-BOX, a new in vitro module of hybrid atrial fibrillation ablation. Methods ABLA-BOX consists of two chambers that mimic the epicardial and endocardial sides of the heart. The septum between chambers provides catheter access on both sites of the cardiac tissue. A circuit, filled with freshly obtained porcine blood, including a pump, an oxygenator, and a heating device, circulate the blood inside the system. Left atrial fresh tissue is mounted on a tissue holder and magnetically fixed. Epicardial and endocardial catheters are fixed on the catheter holders and blocked with the locker knob. The system allows control of ablation force, flow rate, temperature, and flow pattern. Results Epicardial contact force of 100 g and endocardial force of 30 g resulted in larger lesion volumes (P < 0.001), areas (P < 0.001), and lesion diameters (P = 0.03 and P = 0.008), than the combination of 100/20 g. In addition, with a flow rate of 5 L/min, lesion volumes (P = 0.02), areas (P < 0.001), and diameters (both, P < 0.001) were significantly larger in comparison with those of 3 L/min. Furthermore, dimensions (both, P < 0.001), volume (P < 0.001), and area (P < 0.001) of the lesions at a circulating blood temperature of 38.0°C were larger than with a lower blood temperature (36.0°C). Finally, ablations made under stable flow pattern resulted in greater lesion diameters P = 0.04 and P = 0.03) as well as larger volumes (P = 0.02) and areas (P = 0.03) than under turbulent-like flow reproduced with the system rotor set to 400 rpm. Conclusions The ABLA-BOX allowed easy hybrid ablation with different setups, which can provide cardiologists and cardiac surgeons with reliable and more valuable insights.

Clinical practice should follow guidelines and recommendations mainly based on the results of controlled trials, which are often conducted in selected populations and special conditions, whereas clinical practice may be influenced by factors different from controlled scientific studies. Hence, the real-world setting is better assessed by the observational registries enrolling patients for longer periods of time. However, this may be difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. In 2009, the Scientific Initiatives Committee of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) has instigated a series of surveys covering the controversial issues in clinical electrophysiology (EP). With this in mind, an EHRA EP research network has been created, which included EP centres in Europe among which the surveys on 'hot topic' were circulated. This review summarizes the overall experience conducting EP wires over the past 6 years, categorizing and assessing the topics regarding clinical EP, and evaluating the acceptance and feedback from the responding centres, in order to improve participation in the surveys and better address the research needs and aspirations of the European EP community.

The aim of this survey was to provide insight into current practice regarding ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) among members of the European Heart Rhythm Association electrophysiology research network. Thirty centres responded to the survey. The main ablation technique for first-time ablation was stand-alone pulmonary vein isolation (PVI): in 67% of the centres for persistent but not long-standing AF and in 37% of the centres for long-standing persistent AF as well. Other applied techniques were ablation of fractionated electrograms, placement of linear lesions, stepwise approach until AF termination, and substrate mapping and isolation of low-voltage areas. However, the percentage of centres applying these techniques during first ablation did not exceed 25% for any technique. When stand-alone PVI was performed in patients with persistent but not long-standing AF, the majority (80%) of the centres used an irrigated radiofrequency ablation catheter whereas 20% of the respondents used the cryoballoon. Similar results were reported for ablation of long-standing persistent AF (radiofrequency 90%, cryoballoon 10%). Neither rotor mapping nor one-shot ablation tools were used as the main first-time ablation methods. Systematic search for non-pulmonary vein triggers was performed only in 10% of the centres. Most common 1-year success rate off antiarrhythmic drugs was 50-60%. Only 27% of the centres knew their 5-year results. In conclusion, patients with persistent AF represent a significant proportion of AF patients undergoing ablation. There is a shift towards stand-alone PVI being the primary choice in many centres for first-time ablation in these patients. The wide variation in the use of additional techniques and in the choice of endpoints reflects the uncertainties and lack of guidance regarding the most optimal approach. Procedural success rates are modest and long-term outcomes are unknown in most centres.

Surgical Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common chronic arrhythmia in the adult population. Ablation lines have largely replaced the historical and challenging cut and sew techniques. Surgical ablation of AF is commonly performed in cases with other indications for cardiac surgery and less commonly as a stand-alone therapy. Pulmonary vein isolation is the cornerstone of this procedure. Extended left atrial ablation lines may increase efficacy in cases with longstanding persistent or permanent AF. Additional efficacy by adding right atrial ablation is controversial but is often performed in cases undergoing right atrial or atrial septal surgery. Left atrial volume reduction is recommended in cases with large left atria and AF undergoing another cardiac surgery. Arrhythmia recurrence is not uncommon after surgical ablation of AF and varies among studies due to heterogeneity in patient population, lesion set and endpoints. Freedom from AF recurrence was 65–87% at 12 months and 58–70% at 2 years follow-up. Long-term monitoring is recommended due to an increased prevalence of asymptomatic recurrences. The strongest predictors of AF recurrence are longstanding or persistent AF and a large left atrium. The most common mechanisms of recurrence are pulmonary vein reconnection, nonpulmonary vein triggers, and gaps in the ablation lines. About 20% of atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrences are atrial flutter or atrial tachycardia. There are not enough data in the surgical literature to support withdrawal of anticoagulation after surgical AF ablation. Patients selected for stand-alone surgical ablation usually have low risk profiles and low postoperative mortality rates (0.2%).

Objective Reconduction across an ablation line is a common reason for arrhythmia recurrence over time. The hybrid procedure combines epicardial ablation of the pulmonary vein (PV) and creation of a box lesion with endocardial touch-ups for any electrical gaps. A high contact force (CF) between the ablation tip and cardiac tissue may increase the risk of thrombus formation, catheter tip charring, steam pop formation, and even cardiac perforation. CF monitoring is a significant new parameter for titration of the CF for creating an adequate lesion. Methods Thirty-eight consecutive patients underwent epicardial ablation using bipolar radiofrequency devices. After checking electrical bidirectional block of the ablation lines, an endocardial CF catheter was used for further ablation (if needed) to complete the isolation of PVs, box lesion, cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI), and complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAE). Results Endocardial touch-up was needed for 2 PVs (1.3 %) and 10 (26.3 %) box lesions. It was also used for the CTI line in 7 (18.4 %) patients, atrial tachycardia in 3 (7.9 %) patients, and additional CFAE ablation in 17 (44.7 %) patients. All 5 patients with arrhythmia recurrence had a mean CF

Aims Adenosine administration after pulmonary vein (PV) isolation using radiofrequency, laser, and cryoablation can cause acute recovery of conduction to the PVs and predict atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence. This study evaluates whether ablation of dormant potentials post-adenosine administration following second-generation cryoballoon (CB-2G) ablation may improve the success rate for AF. Methods and results In 45 of 90 patients after a waiting period of 30 min, a bolus 15-21 mg of adenosine was administered followed by rapid saline flush. The response was assessed for each PV using a circular octapolar catheter. If needed, further ablation using a cryoballoon and/or cryocatheter was performed until no reconduction was observed after repeat adenosine administration. The remaining 45 patients did not receive adenosine after the procedure. Acute PV isolation was achieved in 352 of 358 PVs (98.3%) of 86 of 90 patients (95.6%) using CB-2G. The adenosine group showed dormant reconduction in 5 of 45 patients (11%), 8 of 179 PVs (4.5%), including 1 left superior pulmonary vein, 3 left inferior pulmonary vein, 1 right superior pulmonary vein, and 3 right inferior pulmonary vein. The success rate for adenosine and without adenosine group was 84 and 79%, respectively, after a mean follow-up of 397 +/- 47 and 349 +/- 66 days, without any AF recurrence in patients in whom adenosine-induced dormant conduction was ablated. Conclusion Adenosine testing after second-generation cryoballoon ablation study showed that reablation of initially isolated PVs increases the clinical success rate for AF.

AIMS: Headache has been reported to occur during cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). No study has systematically analysed this phenomenon.METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty consecutive patients with symptomatic AF underwent cryoballoon ablation without sedation. Headache was evaluated before, during, and after the first cryoapplication in every pulmonary vein (PV) using a visual representation of a head for location of the headache, a numerical rating scale (NRS) for measuring pain intensity and the short-form McGill pain questionnaire (MPQ) for qualitative analysis of pain. The order in which the PVs were ablated was randomized. Sixteen (80%) patients perceived mainly frontal headache during cryoablation. The overall NRS scores were significantly higher during (5.1 ± 1.7), compared with before (2.7 ± 1.4), and after (3.5 ± 2.2) a cryoapplication (P < 0.05). The NRS score was significantly higher during ablation of the first PV. The intensity of the perceived headache was not related to the temperature reached 150 s after initiation of a cryoapplication (P = 0.81). Of the MPQ, three sensory adjectives and one affective adjective averaged between scores 1 and 2, representing mild-to-moderate severity of pain.CONCLUSION: The majority of patients treated by balloon cryoablation experienced headache during a cryoapplication. There was no correlation between the temperature reached during a cryoballoon freeze and the intensity of the headache. Cryoballoon ablation of the first PV was significantly more painful than the remaining PVs.

The purpose of this EP Wire was to assess the indications, techniques, and outcomes of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) in Europe. Thirty-three European centres, all members of the European Heart Rhythm Association electrophysiology (EP) research network, responded to this survey by completing the questionnaire. The major indication for LAAO (94%) was the prevention of stroke in patients at high thrombo-embolic risk (CHA2DS2-VASc ≥ 2) and contraindications to oral anticoagulants (OACs). Twenty-one (64%) of the responding centres perform LAAO in their own institution and 80% implanted 30 or less LAAO devices in 2014. Two-dimensional transoesophageal echocardiography was the preferred imaging technique to visualize LAA before, during, and after LAAO in 79, 58, and 62% of the participating centres, respectively. Following LAAO, 49% of the centres prescribe vitamin K antagonists or novel OACs. Twenty-five per cent of the centres combine LAAO with pulmonary vein isolation. The periprocedural complications included death (range, 0-3%), ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke (0-25%), tamponade (0-25%), and device embolization (0-20%). In conclusion, this EP Wire has demonstrated that LAAO is most commonly employed in patients at high thrombo-embolic risk in whom OAC is contraindicated. The technique is not yet very widespread and the complication rates remain significant.

Aims Diagnosing long QT syndrome (LQTS) is challenging due to a considerable overlap of the QTc-interval between LQTS patients and healthy controls. The aim of this study was to investigate the added value of T-wave morphology markers obtained from 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) in diagnosing LQTS in a large cohort of genepositive LQTS patients and gene-negative family members using a support vector machine.Methods and results A retrospective study was performed including 688 digital 12-lead ECGs recorded from genotype-positive LQTS patients and genotype-negative relatives at their first visit. Two models were trained and tested equally: a baseline model with age, gender, RR-interval, QT-interval, and QTc-intervals as inputs and an extended model including morphology features as well. The best performing baseline model showed an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.821, whereas the extended model showed an AUC of 0.901. Sensitivity and specificity at the maximal Youden's indexes changed from 0.694 and 0.829 with the baseline model to 0.820 and 0.861 with the extended model. Compared with clinically used QTc-interval cut-off values (> 480 ms), the extended model showed a major drop in false negative classifications of LQTS patients.Conclusion The support vector machine-based extended model with T-wave morphology markers resulted in a major rise in sensitivity and specificity at the maximal Youden's index. From this, it can be concluded that T-wave morphology assessment has an added value in the diagnosis of LQTS.

Aim Current targeted left ventricular (LV) lead placement strategy is directed at the latest activated region during intrinsic activation. However, cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is most commonly applied by simultaneous LV and right ventricular (RV) pacing without contribution from intrinsic conduction. Therefore, targeting the LV lead to the latest activated region during RV pacing might be more appropriate. We investigated the difference in LV electrical activation sequence between left bundle-branch block (LBBB) and RV apex (RVA) pacing using coronary venous electro-anatomic mapping (EAM). Methods and results Twenty consecutive CRT candidates with LBBB underwent intra-procedural coronary venous EAM during intrinsic activation and RVA pacing using EnSite NavX. Left ventricular lead placement was aimed at the latest activated region during LBBB according to current recommendations. In all patients, LBBB was associated with a circumferential LV activation pattern, whereas RVA pacing resulted in activation from the apex of the heart to the base. In 10 of 20 patients, RVA pacing shifted the latest activated region relative to LBBB. In 18 of 20 patients, the LV lead was successfully positioned in the latest activated region during LBBB. For the whole study population, LV lead electrical delay, expressed as percentage of QRS duration, was significantly shorter during RVA pacing than during LBBB (72 ± 13 vs. 82 ± 5%, P = 0.035). Conclusion Right ventricular apex pacing alters LV electrical activation pattern in CRT patients with LBBB, and shifts the latest activated region in a significant proportion of these patients. These findings warrant reconsideration of the current practice of LV lead targeting for CRT.

Adenosine administration after pulmonary vein (PV) isolation using radiofrequency and cryoablation can cause acute recovery of conduction to the PVs and predicts atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence. This study evaluated whether adenosine testing after second-generation balloon devices (cryothermal and laser) could reveal dormant PV reconduction and recurrence rate of AF. Out of total 60 patients, 20 patients underwent PV isolation using laser balloon and for the remaining patients, the cryoballoon was used. Following PVI, waiting period of 30 min was obtained. Thereafter, a bolus 15-21 mg of adenosine was injected followed by rapid saline flush. The subsequent response was assessed for each vein using an in situ lasso catheter. Further ablation (if needed) using laser balloon and cryocatheter respectively was done, until no reconduction occurred after repeat adenosine. Acute PV isolation was achieved in all 80 PVs of 20 patients (100 %) using laser device and in 151 PVs (96.2 %) of 38 patients (95 %) using cryoballoon. However, in seven patients (35 %), 11 PVs (13.7 %) (4 LSPV, 2 LIPV, 4 RSPV, and 1 RIPV) showed dormant PV potentials after adenosine administration in laser group. Cryoballoon group showed dormant reconduction in four patients (10 %), four PVs (5 %) [one LSPV, one LIPV, and two RIPV]. The follow-up of 337 +/- 92.4 days for cryoballoon and 267 +/- 76.9 days for laser balloon group demonstrated similar success rates (85 %). Adenosine testing after PV isolation using second-generation balloon based energy devices (laser and cryothermal) reveals dormant conduction in initially isolated PVs with similar long-term success rate.

Introduction Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) with enlarged atria or previous pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) are challenging patients for catheter ablation. Thoracoscopic surgery is an effective treatment for these patients but comes at the cost of an increase in adverse events. Recently, electrophysiological (EP) guided approaches to thoracoscopic surgery have been described which consist of EP guidance by measurement of conduction block across ablation lines. In this study we describe the efficacy and safety of EP-guided thoracoscopic surgery for AF in patients with enlarged atria and/or prior failed catheter ablation. Methods & results A total of 72 patients were included. Two different approaches to EP-guided thoracoscopic surgery were implemented: epicardial or endocardial EP-guidance at the time of surgery. Residual intraoperative conduction requiring additional ablation was detected with epicardial or endocardial mapping techniques in 50% and 11%, respectively. Additional epicardial or endocardial ablation was performed until bidirectional block was confirmed. Follow-up consisted of an ECG and a 24h Holter at 3, 6 and 12months after the procedure. A total of 57 patients (79%) had freedom of AF and were off anti-arrhythmic drugs at one year follow-up (30 paroxysmal (83%), 27 persistent AF (75%)). Adverse events occurred in 13 patients (6 major). None of our patients died and all events were reversible. Conclusion EP-guidance of thoracoscopic surgery can be safely performed both epicardially and endocardially and is associated with a high rate of long-term maintenance of sinus rhythm in patients with enlarged atria and/or a previously failed ablation.